The Mentus team recently did PR around the launch of MyCeliacID, a DIY diagnostic test for celiac disease. It is made by Prometheus Labs in San Diego, CA. Celiac Disease is a severe allergic reaction to Gluten, a common ingredient in most foods. It can cause inflammation and damage to the small intestine. The ‘classic’ symptoms of Celiac Disease include abdominal pain and weight loss.
Today’s media is changing…people traditionally received information from a handful of reporters for a given television station, newspaper or magazine. PR professionals would reach out to journalists, they would opt to cover a story and a day or so later, the story would run and it was news. With today’s media, info is distributed in an instant and the select reporters who once cradled the news no longer have the exclusive privilege of the only holder of the story. Not that these news sources are any less valid because there is still value in the traditional forms of media.
But my point is there are now other non-traditional ways that are just as effective (if not more in some cases) to reach your core audience. Particularly when that audience is well defined.
I was amazed by the number of online communities, twitter accounts and blogs that were themed around celiac disease and a gluten-free diet. With these new forms of communication, it really brought home to me the importance of reaching out to these blogs and online media outlets. I was simply impressed by how fast and how much REACH we were able to leverage.
Blogs are VERY unique in that they are specific and the participants are savvy, hungry for relevant information, passionate and solely focused on their given cause. The press release pick up and inclusion of MyCeliacID information was amazing. The press release was mentioned in some form on ALL the major Celiac ID and Gluten related blog sites. Participants were commenting about it and MyCeliacID was certainly “buzzing” in the celiac community. People with twitter accounts posted “tweets” about the announcement and in turn notified all their followers.
One of the drawbacks is when info moves so fast, it’s like the “telephone game” you used to play as a kid. Because ANYONE can be blogger and report news, the message can be misconstrued. We encountered this and had to track down the original source and correct it ASAP. It was a pleasure to realize most wanted to share accurate and up to date information and were happy to correct their minor errors. We also had the opportunity to monitor what was said when participants commented, it was great because it allowed for us to see real unfiltered feedback from people who may have used it or what they have heard about it. If the product or service has a specific audience I highly recommend reaching out to blogs and other viral outlets. It Works!
The Mentus team recently did PR around the launch of MyCeliacID, a DIY diagnostic test for celiac disease. It is made by Prometheus Labs in San Diego, CA. Celiac Disease is a severe allergic reaction to Gluten, a common ingredient in most foods. It can cause inflammation and damage to the small intestine. The ‘classic’ symptoms of Celiac Disease include abdominal pain and weight loss.
Today’s media is changing…people traditionally received information from a handful of reporters for a given television station, newspaper or magazine. PR professionals would reach out to journalists, they would opt to cover a story and a day or so later, the story would run and it was news. With today’s media, info is distributed in an instant and the select reporters who once cradled the news no longer have the exclusive privilege of the only holder of the story. Not that these news sources are any less valid because there is still value in the traditional forms of media.
But my point is there are now other non-traditional ways that are just as effective (if not more in some cases) to reach your core audience. Particularly when that audience is well defined.
I was amazed by the number of online communities, twitter accounts and blogs that were themed around celiac disease and a gluten-free diet. With these new forms of communication, it really brought home to me the importance of reaching out to these blogs and online media outlets. I was simply impressed by how fast and how much REACH we were able to leverage.
Blogs are VERY unique in that they are specific and the participants are savvy, hungry for relevant information, passionate and solely focused on their given cause. The press release pick up and inclusion of MyCeliacID information was amazing. The press release was mentioned in some form on ALL the major Celiac ID and Gluten related blog sites. Participants were commenting about it and MyCeliacID was certainly “buzzing” in the celiac community. People with twitter accounts posted “tweets” about the announcement and in turn notified all their followers.
One of the drawbacks is when info moves so fast, it’s like the “telephone game” you used to play as a kid. Because ANYONE can be blogger and report news, the message can be misconstrued. We encountered this and had to track down the original source and correct it ASAP. It was a pleasure to realize most wanted to share accurate and up to date information and were happy to correct their minor errors. We also had the opportunity to monitor what was said when participants commented, it was great because it allowed for us to see real unfiltered feedback from people who may have used it or what they have heard about it. If the product or service has a specific audience I highly recommend reaching out to blogs and other viral outlets. It Works!
